Game Guard
by Witty Teacup
Summary: It started as a simple game, where you would enter and solve puzzles to beat the game. You were supposed to be able to log out. But now, Matthew and Alfred are stuck in a vicious game, where if you die, there's no coming out. Game AU, PruCan
1. 0: Get Out Alive

_My hands are shaking as I write. _

_ I don't know how much time I have left. I really don't. My heart is pounding, and I can hear voices of the men calling my name. The echoing is flashing through my mind, and I all I can do is pray that you find this. _

_ Birdie, when (if) you get this, don't you dare cry. If I find out you cried, you'll be in trouble okay? You need to listen carefully to the instructions I write here, it's the only chance that you and your brother will escape all right, that is my main goal here. _

_ When you receive this letter, immediately get your brother. He is in the fifth door on the left on the sixth floor. The door with be locked, but enclosed with the letter is the keycard. Open the door and take him with you. From there, I want you to head back down to the second floor, go to the first door on the right. In there, I want you to grab the flash drive that should be in the bottom left drawer. If it's locked, the key will be behind the painting of the two children holding hands with the red string around their fingers. Protect that flash drive. _

_ From there, go to the first floor, go all the way to the end of the hall, and the door will be locked. Insert the flash drive, and it should open. Should you encounter a problem, I have already come up with a backup system, but you have to be able to move fast for this one. _

_ Should it come in which the flash drive won't work, have your brother break the machine. The alarms will blare, but if you can get through, that's all that matters. There should be some kind of car like vehicle there, but it too is locked. Try opening it first, and when it asks for password identification, say exactly what I write. _

_ F3L1C14N0O_

_ Say those letters in order, but hurry. If you take too long the guards will catch up to you and this will all be for naught. When the car opens, click the button at the top of the driver's seat with a big 'X'. That will open the hatch. When you drive out, you will know where you are. But you must get beyond the gate. Once you get beyond the gate, that can't follow you. You will have beaten the game. _

_ Should you encounter a problem, or be caught by the guards, you have to know, that's game over. You're dead. If they get your brother, keep going. If you beat the game, you will win and he'll come out too. But you are player number one. You are the main leader of the game. Once you're out, you're out. _

_ Be careful, Birdie. You've got one shot at this. Don't worry about me. After all, I'm just a game program, but a program that knows what is going on. _

_ Stay safe, and remember, watch out for Feliciano. _

_ -Gilbert  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>And for whatever reason, I'm writing another PruCan story. I promise 'Danza Di Cuori' is in the works but I have to work out some plot knots before I can actually get writing. But for now, please enjoy. <strong>

**Read and Review~?  
><strong>

**-IchigoMelon**_  
><em>


	2. I: System Error

_Welcome to the world of Game Guard, a strategic, interactive game that is challenging the mind by solving puzzles and riddles while trying to escape the facility that has captured you, all as you are avoiding the dreaded Virus that is trying to disable your escape. Once you are ready to proceed, press the green button to your right and you will be entered into the game. Each game is all your own, unless you are playing with a partner. Please tell the operators if you are cooperating with a partner or separately. One of the players shall randomly be selected to be the leader, and cannot be switched. Please enjoy, and remember, should you need to leave the game for any reason, click the 'eject' button on your game bracelet. _

"This is so cool Mattie!" Alfred said excitedly as he stepped onto the platform.

"It is…I'm curious about how this will go…" Matthew replied softly, stepping onto another platform.

It was the fourth of August, a smolderingly hot day in which brothers Alfred and Matthew were having there first trip to this new and improved gaming system. It was an actual live experience game in which you were transported into the game to solve and beat it. It was like a RPG except with added features. Alfred, naturally, was ecstatic with the idea, and quickly purchased himself a pass. Matthew on the other hand, had to be convinced before he spent his money and go in with him. Though, now on the day they were actually going to play, he himself was feeling like he was going to enjoy it.

"Party or single you two?" a man asked, with a distinct English accent.

"Party," Matthew answered gently, and he nodded.

The man then proceeded to tie a bracelet around both of their wrists, giving a simple lesson on how the device was to work.

"The button in the middle is the eject button. That is for if you must come out of the game. The button to the left is the help button. That is for if something should happen to the game, or something occurs that is not fixable, you can select that and the operators will fix it by temporarily suspending your game and treating the error. The button on the right is to communicate with your party member within a certain distance. Understand?"

"I understand."

The man gave a curt nod before walking to his brother, and giving the same instructions. After a brief conversation, the man exited the room. The same message they'd heard earlier came into earshot, and they nodded at each other.

"Let's do this Mattie!"

They both pressed the green button, and they disappeared into the virtual world.

* * *

><p>Matthew didn't know when he fell unconscious, but he awoke to the violent shaking that was Alfred.<p>

He sat up, and rubbed his violet eyes as he scanned the room around him. It was dark, and it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust. Once they did, he recognized it as what appeared to be…a storage room? There were boxes piled as high as towers, with miscellaneous items strewn about the floor. The walls were solid and cold to the touch, indicating some kind of metal or rock. At the thought, he exhaled and watched his breath rise, before a sudden chill washed over him. It was freezing in there. Alfred looked to him and rubbed his arms, noting the drop in temperature as well.

"Where are we…?" the American asked softly, his own eyes identifying the area.

"I…don't know to be honest. But remember, according to what the system said, we're prisoners of a facility, and there is some sort of Virus that we have to avoid."

Alfred nodded in acknowledgement before walking to the door that Matthew had failed to notice previously. He jiggled the handle, and then tugged at it, but it wouldn't even seem to budge.

"Any ideas bro?"

The Canadian knew this game was going to require using your head, as it was a more logical, strategic gaming system, therefore, he knew he was going to be doing most of the work. He looked down to his bracelet, and realized on there was a very tiny screen, just enough to see the number one written across it. So he was party leader. That was good.

"Let's try searching the room. Alfred, this is a logic game. We'll have to use our heads to get out."

The brother seemed to pout a bit, but he didn't complain. While Matthew took the left side of the room, Alfred took the right as they searched for something useful to get out. After some scuffling, shuffling, sifting, and searching, they finally found a pin of some sort in which Alfred attempted to pick the lock. When in wouldn't work, he let out a frustrated cry before throwing it to the ground with a _clink!_

"This game is already kicking our asses Mattie," he growled angrily.

"Here, let me try."

Matthew retrieved the pin from the floor, got down on his knees, and stuck it into the lock. He twisted it and turned it much slower than his brother, but still, it would not seem to unlock. He pursed his lips in annoyance, before thrusting it roughly, but upon that action, he heard a soft click. Standing back up, he turned the knob and watched in awe as it opened.

"And…that was entirely coincidental."

Alfred looked at him incredulously, before stepping out into the corridor. The facility's walls were a sleek, white color, stretching a far ways before stopping at a rather large door. It was incrusted with a seal neither of the teens had ever seen before. The long walls were lined with paintings, mostly painted in bright colors that contrasted the white greatly. Though, it was remarkably warmer in the hall, they both noted subconsciously.

As they examined the pathway, footsteps echoed in the distance, followed by murmurs of voices. On impulse, Alfred and Matthew immediately dove back for the storage area, in fear of being caught. Matthew eased the door shut and listened carefully, motioning Alfred to come listen as well.

_"The prisoners were caught correct? Have you told the master?" _

The footsteps started to come by the door.

_"Nein, not yet. By the time I'd found them they'd already forgotten everything. They were quick I'll give them that." _

The walking halted in front of the entrance.

_"I think we should go ahead and inject them. The quicker they revert back to their normal selves the less severe the master's wrath will be upon us." _

"No, it's too risky. I'm not sure what kind of amnesia potion they took, so it might wear off. Besides, if it does and we inject them again, it could cause a negative reaction in their system and overload, and inevitably, killing them."

_ "You're right, that does sound risky. Okay, so you want to take it up with the master~?" _

The sounds began to echo off, indicating that they were leaving.

_"Yeah, I guess I'll take the heat for it. After all, it's not like he'll get rid of me or anything. One, I'm too awesome for that. Two, he knows he needs me." _

The voices died down, and when they were completely out of hearing, Alfred gave Matthew a grim expression.

"Were…they talking about us?" he whispered.

"I…I think so. You know how in games…they usual talk about you because you're the player. But…what exactly did we escape from?"

"I don't know, and quite frankly, that's what's scaring me."

The two quietly stepped into the hall again, surveying the area and keeping a sharp ear for any more noises. Matthew took lead down the direction in which the two men had just come from. Their footsteps bounced off the enclosure, ringing back to them.

"Where are we going?" Alfred asked suddenly. "This is just getting ridiculous."

Truth be told, Matthew had no idea where they were going. He was turning corners hoping to trigger some kind of scene in which a hint would be relayed. After another turn, a scene did occur, but not exactly what the Canadian had in mind.

Footsteps rang out, but it appeared to be only one person. Still, something in Matthew's head blared loudly, _Don't Let Them See You._ It was like a warning signal; like how hints would appear at the top of a screen while playing a video game. Alfred must have felt it too, because he yanked Matthew back rather roughly.

"We've got to get out of here, or at least out of sight…" he mumbled nervously.

They rushed back down the hallway, back to where the huge incrusted door sat. Out of blind panic, they hauled the gigantic beast open, and ran inside, pulling it closed behind them. The room was silent, and dark, pitch dark, just like the storage room, but not nearly as cold. They listened intently for the sound of the footsteps, but they ceased to be heard. Still, they waited a moment before sighing out of relief.

"Did…did you feel that warning Mattie?"

"Yeah…did you…?"

"Yeah…it was freaky…"

It took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust, but it was still hard to see. They groped the wall for a few seconds before they found what felt like a light switch, and flipped it up. A shrill, squeak was sounded as well as some shuffling.

"W-w-who's t-there…?" it cried pitifully.

"Who're you?" Alfred retorted.

It stepped into view…peering around a crate it somehow managed to fit itself behind. It was a boy, with rusted, auburn hair with an odd curl sticking out to the left. His face was slightly pale, but it did hold color. His clothes were odd looking…like something out of an old book.

His wore a button up, beige shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He wore a dark, grey colored vest that went down to his hip with what seemed to be a pocket watch hanging out. His slacks were pinstriped, that were tucked down into lace up, tall boots. His hands were covered mostly by sleek, black, fingerless gloves, which were laced together in anxiety. On top of his head was a caramel colored beret that lopped to the right side of his head.

"F-Feliciano…" he answered.

Matthew and Alfred exchanged glances, and then looked back to him.

"A-are you with them…?" Feliciano whimpered softly, appearing to be ready to bolt for the door at any given time.

"With who?" the Canadian brother asked.

"The facility…"

Another short glance at each other was passed. As far as _they _knew, they weren't.

"No, we're not. We're…trying to escape," Alfred replied.

This seemed to brighten the mood of the boy immensely. He ran forward, shaking their hands in a vigorous motion, obviously not frightened anymore. It didn't seem to occur to him that they could be lying.

"I'm _so _glad to see faces that aren't mean and scary! I was almost certain that you would hurt me! So what are your names~?" he bounced, hyper.

"Alfred…Alfred Jones."

"Matthew Williams…"

Feliciano clapped, "Ve~ it's nice to meet you!"

"The feeling is…mutual…Feliciano…" Matthew mumbled more to himself than to anyone else. "So…do you know the way out?"

"Me? No…no…I wish! I've been stuck here for months! I just want to go home…"

Feliciano scurried back to where the crate he'd hid behind was, and opened it up. He reached down inside, and after a few scraping noises, he pulled out what appeared to be octagonal, stained glass like pieces.

"Maybe you can find these useful! I found them while running from the guards. I think they go somewhere…but I'm not sure. So please! Take them with you!"

"You're…not coming with us?" Matthew began, eyeing him.

"No…I would weigh you guys down. But if you find an exit, come find me! I'll stay in here~ here! Take this too! You can carry useful things in here!"

The man dove back into the crate, and pulled out a satchel. It was a light tan color, and it had what looked like paint splattered across it. He held it at arm's length out to them. The American took it, and opened it so his brother could put the pieces inside of it.

"Ciao~! And good luck!" Feliciano smiled, waving as they exited.

Upon reentry into the hall, Alfred slung the satchel over his shoulder, the octagonal shapes clanking inside. Matthew proceeded back the way they came before running, in hopes that now the coast was clear for them to keep going.

It turned out that it was now clear, and they hurriedly walked down to pray and hope that they wouldn't be caught. There were four doors on the left side, and three on the right, and one large door at the end of the hall, with no other connecting halls.

"Which door?" Alfred asked.

"Um…let's try the big one first. Maybe that's a key part of the game."

The two walked forward, and tugged on the large door, only to discover that it wouldn't budge in the slightest. They both grabbed onto it, and pulled with all they had, but it resulted in their hands stinging and reddening.

"Pretty realistic game huh Al?" Matthew said, flexing his hands.

"Ha…yeah…"

The brothers turned around and headed for the first door on the right. The door opened right up, and they stepped inside. Two large crates were in the left corner of the room, and there was one by the door they'd walked in. Cabinets lined the walls, all the same shade of white as the walls of the exterior. Some were open, containing syringes, vials, and medicine bottles. Others were shut, with an oddly shaped lock, one that didn't appear to need an ordinary key. Matthew walked to the open cabinets and examined the contents of the medicine bottle by reading the labels.

"Take one by mouth every three hours as needed, to not exceed four doses in twenty-four hours…" he mumbled, turning it to read who and what it was for.

"Alfred…this…this is for you…" Matthew said, extending the bottle towards him. He took it curiously.

"I don't have schizophrenia! This isn't for me Mattie!" Alfred puffed out his cheeks in annoyance.

"But…it has your name on it."

"So? This game is messed up."

"Remember Al, we're not who we think we are in this game."

The American pouted, and put the bottle back into the cabinet, in turn pulling out another one. He snickered, and handed the container to Matthew.

"This one's for you. You have some kind of anger disorder," he laughed.

The Canadian sighed, and snatch it from him. He put it back onto the shelf, and looked through the contents of the vials.

A few were simple things that seemed to be chemicals, others were curious, like two in particular. It read the words, 'ADULTERITAS' and the other read 'OBLIVISCERE', both words neither of them could seem to understand.

"Is…that in…Latin?" Matthew said curiously, though it was more of a question to himself than to Alfred.

"Maybe. I never really learned Latin. It's kind of a dead language."

They searched the contents of the rest of the room, finding nothing useful in the slightest; except for, a laser pointer that Alfred _insisted _on taking.

"You never know Mattie! It could be useful!" he reasoned.

"Whatever Alfred. Just take it and let's get out of here. All these needles and weird chemicals are making me sick. Besides, we have plenty of other rooms to check."

Alfred put his hand on the doorknob, and as if it were triggered by that action, an array of footsteps was echoed outside it. He took his hand off and backed up, eyes darting to and from the door.

"Shit…come on…we have to hide!"

"Where?" Matthew hissed.

"_Somewhere_! Let's go!"

The brothers found their only option to build a small fortress with the crates, in an inconspicuous fashion, and hid behind them. Their heartbeats rattled in their ears as the knob turned. The door creaked open…and slowly…

Everything went dark.

It was pitch dark, darker than any room they'd been in. Even after a moment to adjust, still nothing was in view for as far as they could see. Was this supposed to happen?

_System Error. System Error. System Error…_

"Matt? You there?" Alfred's voice asked, sounding shaken.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Is…this supposed to happen?"

Matthew swallowed, "I…don't know…"

Their question was soon answered by a burst of light in the center of the room. A figure appeared, like a hologram. It was the man who'd gave them the instructions and gave them the bracelets. His disheveled blond hair and enormous eyebrows looked even less pleased than when they'd seen him the first time. His green eyes scanned the room for a moment before finding them.

_"Matthew Williams and Alfred Jones?" _he asked, static blared but his voice was still distinguishable.

They nodded. He sighed.

_"I'm Arthur Kirkland, I'm the operator of your party. A malfunction has occurred in your game as well as any other player in the game. An unknown virus is attacking the system, and we're trying to stop it. It is preventing us from pulling any person out of the game, as well as allowing a player themselves to eject from the game." _

"So in other words, we're stuck here," Alfred said.

_"Unfortunately, yes. We are doing all we can to eliminate the virus before it spreads to far. There is only one way out of the game." _

"How?"

_"You have to beat it. Beat the game and you will by default be sent out, regardless. Matthew? You are player one correct?" _

"Yes."

_"You, at all costs, must get out. As player one you are the main player. You must survive." _

"W…what happens if I get caught?"

His expression turned grave, _"Your data will be erased, and basically, you will cease to exist. In other words, you die. I will guide you as much as I can, but should the virus spread too far, there will be nothing I can do but watch." _

Matthew and Alfred exchanged looks.

_"Remember, this is not a fighting game. This is a realistic game. Use your wits, and you will succeed. The programmed characters will act differently depending on your own reactions. Stay strong, and do not believe everything you see or hear." _Arthur's voice was beginning to fade.

_"Be careful you two." _

Arthur's image disappeared from view, all traces of light leaving as well. Just as the darkness overtook them yet again, the lights switched back on, and this time, no one was at the door. Shakily, Alfred stood up, offering Matthew a hand.

"…Well…this game just got more fun didn't it?" the American chuckled nervously.

"…Yeah…_way _more fun…"

The brothers cautiously approached the door, opening it to the empty hall once more. The walls were more dimly lit, but the large door that wasn't opened before was cracked. With a subconscious agreement, the two proceeded towards it.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter one~ Hope it sounds good!<strong>

**Read and Review~?**

**-IchigoMelon**


	3. II: The Great White Room

Matthew peered into the cracked doorway, trying to see what was located inside. It was a living room of sorts, with a two creamy white chairs at either side of a creamy white table. The only thing that appeared to stand out was a book in one of the chairs, with a burnt red colored cover. No one was in sight, but if Matthew had learned anything in this game, it was that the unlikely was likely and when in doubt, send your brother in first.

"Alfred, go ahead of me," the Canadian instructed, stepping back.

He looked at him with utter horror and shock. "What? You want _me _to go in there?"

"Yes, I do. Remember, I can't die or we're doomed. If you die then, well, you'll be all right. Now go!"

"No! I'm not going in there! We'll go in together okay?"

After another five minutes of arguing like that, Matthew conceded and sighed. "On the count of three we'll go in together, okay? One, two…three."

They both crept in, nervous with their eyes scanning the room for any signs of movement or life. They found no one, fortunately, and proceeded to scan the area. In the corner was a creamy white fireplace that appeared to be unlit. The brothers examined it, and it was clear that it hadn't been lit in quite a while.

On the opposite end of the room, there was another sleek white door in the rightmost corner. Upon further inspection, it was noted that there was a keyhole, which of course, they had no key to.

Stepping back, the elder brother spoke up after giving the room one more look.

"It's like the only source of color in this room is the book. It's kind of like a drawing huh Mattie?" Alfred began.

"You're right…"

Matthew walked over to the book, and dusted off the cover. There were no words, just its same burnt color. He tried picking it up, but for some reason, it wouldn't come off the table.

"What the…" he began, attempting to grasp the book underneath his fingers. The book simply would not come up.

It was as if the book were glued to the table. It seemed that no amount of tugging or pulling or ripping would do any good for them. Matthew had Alfred try, but he received the same result.

"What the hell is this?" the older blond complained loudly, pouting at the leather-bounded pages.

"I don't know. Come on, let's search the room some more and look for something that may help us."

The brothers scuttled around the room, though, they soon came to the conclusion that there was simply nothing they could do in there. The book still wouldn't move, and nothing else seemed to want to come off the wall or off of the chair. Yet, still, the only thing that was in color was the book. Matthew sat down, going over their options in his head. There was _some _significance to this room, and there was some significance to the literature. But _what _was it? There had to have been a reason that it was open for them, or else it wouldn't have happened. Or…could it be this was a false scene? Arthur had clearly stated that the system had become corrupt, so could it be they weren't supposed to have come here yet? If so, they were wasting precious time. It seemed like the only logical explanation.

"Come on Alfred, let's leave for now and check out the other rooms."

The American turned back to him in mid pace. "What? But we're not done here yet!"

"It could be very likely that this is an error. The system is corrupted; therefore it's likely that we're not supposed to be here yet. It could be that this is a glitch, and don't have the necessary items to be present in the room. Let's just go look around. Maybe then we can find something useful."

Without further argument, they opened the door and left the drawing-like room back into the corridor. They returned to the room in which they found the vials, and continued to the surrounding rooms that followed.

In one room, they'd discovered a bell, a simple, small, silver bell that made a light jingle upon swinging it by its handle. Though it was about as useful as the laser pointer, they took it anyway.

In another room, Matthew had found a medal like creation with a weird inscription. There was what appeared to be an unidentifiable picture on the front, but on the back there appeared to be more written Latin, spelling out "ADITUS", whatever that meant. Nonetheless, they took it with them, in hopes that it would soon prove itself to be helpful.

In the third they examined, it turned out there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was a blank room. Its walls were like it stretched forever, in pure white.

With the final room out of the way, their only option was to return to the large doors. Hopefully, their new items would prove some bit of use to them.

After reentry, it appeared nothing had changed in the slightest. The book remained glued to the table, the door remained locked, the fireplace remained unlit, and they remained stuck in the game. Matthew heaved a loud sigh, plopping himself down on the table, pressing his fingers to his forehead.

Alfred began to pace back and forth, clearly trying to come up with something just as Matthew was. It was apparent that they were stumped, and they needed a clue. But what could they do? He closed his eyes, and groaned softly. In his step, his foot caught something, and he tripped, falling to the floor with a loud thud.

"Alfred!" Matthew stood, looking down and extending his hand.

His eyes traced back to how he'd fallen; a loose tile separated itself from the rest, revealing a small crevice where two white stones sat snuggled down tightly. Alfred turned back and picked them up, tapping them lightly together.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. But look! I think these may have something to do with the room!"

"Alfred…how do rocks contribute to the room?"

The older brother stopped listening, and continued to slap the pieces together, making clacks with each abrupt movement. It wasn't chipping, and with each slap, he smacked them harder.

"Alfred, you're going to break them!" Matthew started to scold, when the American let out a triumphant cry, as if he'd discovered something truly amazing.

"Mattie! Mattie! It sparks! It sparks! We can start the fire with this!"

It didn't seem like a logical plan of action, but it was their only option in their current state. "Well, go start it then! Maybe it'll give us a hint!"

Alfred stood up, and walked towards the pale colored fireplace. He grinned as he tapped them together, creating sparks to hopefully light the logs.

It took a bit of time, patience, and direction, but before long, the smoke began to rise, and soon, the room began to be filled with a warm, orange glow that illuminated the entire room. The brothers gazed around them, impressed by the sudden change of hue.

Suddenly, a loud click was heard, in the direction of the table.

Matthew went over to investigate, ducking his head down to look around. His eyes fell to the book, and out of one shred of hope, he grabbed hold of it.

It came off.

Overwhelmed, he grinned widely as he flipped through the pages. The words seemed unreadable; more Latin was his only guess. The pages were tinted orange from the fire. While he was turning, his ears caught wind of a light clink.

"Mattie! At your feet!" the older brother said, pointing.

Matthew bent down, and picked up the object. It was a key, a darkened brass shade from what he could tell. He held it up for Alfred to see, and his face brightened.

"Let's try putting it in the keyhole!" he said, smile growing bigger with each second. It was almost like nothing was at stake and he was actually enjoying this.

With the fire still ablaze, the pair proceeded towards the door in the corner. It now glistened the color of the entire room. Matthew began to stick in inside, but it wouldn't fit. Thinking that maybe he had it in wrong, he tried again; the same result. He peered through the opening, and noticed something that looked remotely like a clasp, blocking the entry. The younger brother pursed his lips, wondering why, or rather, how.

"It won't go in…"

"What?"

"It won't go in. There's a clasp blocking the path. In other words, it can't unlock it."

The American frowned, looking genuinely unhappy. He snatched the key from his brother, and tried, unsuccessfully, jamming it inside. After ramming it in more times than Matthew could count, he sighed obnoxiously before turning back.

"What now?"

"I don't know. Maybe the key doesn't go there."

"But it wasn't like that when we checked the first time! Do we need to put the book back or something?"

"We can try…"

The Canadian returned to the table and set the book down where it had unlatched itself. Nothing occurred. He attempted pushing it down, but that only resulted in hurting himself. Matthew picked the object back up and turned back.

"Nope. Not working. Any other bright ideas?" the younger blond asked.

Alfred shook his head, and handed the key back to his brother. "Not really. Do you?"

Matthew stopped to think. He had to think of how the room was before they'd colored it. It was white; everything was white except for the book. The door was unclasped at that point, evident from the examination prior to the fire. What could they do? They had the key now…so maybe, put the fire out?

"Al…let's try to put the fire out."

"Why?"

"Well…the door was locked with no clasp when everything was white. It's locked with a clasp now that there is color. I'm assuming that maybe if we get rid of the color, the room will return to normal!"

It seemed that the older brother thought the notion over, and shrugged. "Let's try. It's our only option."

Alfred approached the fireplace and looked at it, and Matthew immediately knew that he was trying to figure out how to put it out. Water _definitely _wasn't a good choice, let alone did they have any, and it would take too long to let it burn out. They scavenged around the fire for a moment, and found the fire poke.

The brothers spread the coals out, dimming the fire. It was still smoldering, but the room had returned to its original white color. A soft click found their ears, and they turned towards the door once more.

"Shall we try again?"

Alfred nodded, and took the key. He walked over to the door, and stuck it in. Without turning it, he looked back to his brother with an uncertain expression, and Matthew nodded, urging him to go ahead and at least try.

The American did so, turning it first to the right, and then to the left. His eyes widened in mild surprise as the tumblers unlocked, and he withdrew the key.

"It…I think it worked Mattie."

Matthew walked over next to him, and turned the knob cautiously. It turned all the way, and with a slight push, it opened outwards. The older blond swallowed lightly, glancing back again.

"Matt…"

"I know. We have to try. It's the only way we'll ever get out…"

Before stepping through, Matthew turned around and retrieved the book from the table. He put it into the satchel. "This may be useful at some point…"

"Yeah…ready?"

With a deep breath, he nodded. "Yes."

The following room was dark, as all the rooms were usually. The only thing they could pick out was the little bit of tile flooring that was at the entrance from the light of the room the stood in. And with uncertainty washing over them, Matthew and Alfred stepped inside.

Their uncertainty was not misplaced.

* * *

><p><strong>I was really excited about the positive feedback on this last chapter. Thanks so much guys! And someone brought a point up to me, the book <em>Heir Apparent <em>sounds a lot like this story except for a few details. So, for you Amnesia: The Dark Descent players, this is like a cross between that and _Heir Apparent_. **

**Any-who, This should pick up soon. The first few chapters are inevitably going to be slow, but I do hope to get this going soon. Thanks again for the feedback last chapter, and thanks for reading! **

**Remember guys, this IS Prussia X Canada.  
><strong>

**Read and Review~? **

**-IchigoMelon**


	4. III: The Darkness Within

Matthew's heart swelled as they stepped inside the room. The darkness engulfed his vision upon entry, more so than usual, and the door slammed loudly behind them. Both brothers paused; their only source of light had faded with the closed exit. Their line of vision was completely black now; they couldn't even get the vague outline of their hands. In a rush to better prepare themselves, they turned sharply, going back towards the door only to realize, that it was no longer present. Alfred did the same as Matthew, sliding their fingers hesitantly along the spot that used to harbor the door. It felt like blank wall now, just solid, hard wall.

"Alfred…there…was a door here…wasn't there?" the Canadian asked shakily, rubbing hands along it rougher.

"Y-yeah…I thought so…"

Apparently, someone didn't want them to turn around. So here they were, stranded in the darkness with no idea what lay in the shadows.

Oh, this was going to be _fun, fun, fun_.

The brothers didn't dare move, afraid of what they'd fine should they do so. Instead, they decided to scale the wall in search of a light switch, but were dejected when they found none. The room was remarkably colder than the rest, so it didn't help matters much. The puzzles constantly seemed to get harder, and if that were indeed the case, then they would _never _get out.

"Matt…what if…we tried using the 'Help' button? Maybe…maybe we can contact our operator…Arthur was it?" he suggested quietly.

Matthew almost protested when the option sprang like a light bulb in his head (now if only he could've brought that light bulb out…). "L-let's try then…"

The Canadian fidgeted around in the dark, pressing the button on his game bracelet. At first, nothing happened. He pressed it again, hoping that he just didn't hold it down and the inevitable truth wasn't that it hadn't worked. This time, a light humming rang through his ears, and he glanced at Alfred, who seemed to be hearing it too.

The humming got louder, and soon, the hologram of Arthur appeared before them yet again.

_"Thank goodness I could answer that. What seems to be the matter?_" he asked, but then added, _"Other than…being stuck in here, I suppose._"

"We can't see in here!" Alfred blurted out. "And the door is gone! Is that supposed to happen?"

_"Disappearing door? No…I don't believe so. But this room here…" _he paused, and seemed the check something on his wrist. "_This room here is supposed to be this dark, and there is a way to light the room up, but unfortunately I can't remember how to do it…"_

"Then…do you have anything that could help us? A flashlight or add a light switch or something?" Matthew began.

_"Hm…" _another pause, and then, "_This is the best I can give you…"_

Some flashed in the corner; a small box. It was dark, like everything else in the room, and Alfred proceeded to rush over and open it. Inside, there was one pair of goggle like objects.

"_They're sonar goggles. They're like the senses that animals like bats use. You can easily see what's around the room when they're on. Unfortunately, I can only faze one through so you either take turns, or let one person do one job and the other the other job. Just turn the knobs on the side and the sonar should bounce back. Anything else?" _

"No…I think we're good. Or rather, as good as we can be…thank you, Arthur."

_"It's nothing, now, again, be careful." _

His image faded, leaving them in the dark once more. Matthew put on the goggles, adjusting the knobs as told and looking through. When adjusted, the room was by far clearer than what they'd been seeing (or rather, what they hadn't). There was a table to the left, a door straight ahead, a chest to the right, a bookshelf behind the table, and few more miscellaneous objects. He walked over to the table, trying to figure out if there was anything on, or under it.

"What do you see Mattie?" Alfred asked, eyesight still constricted by the darkness.

"A lot of things…hang on…"

Matthew slid his hand along the table. It was chill, and it felt as if it were made of…glass? Or something a lot like glass. He rummaged around the stand, until his hand found a bit of a groove, more or less feeling like a switch of some sort. He pressed down hard, and it flicked on.

It glowed a neon green color, flashing so brightly that he squinted. His brother made a noise of surprise, and approached. The light made symbols on the glass, each showing things in what appeared to be a formula.

First, there was an image of a rounded, chemical bottle marked with an 'X'. Second, there was a picture of a chest, and then a circular, coin like object. Finally, there was a smaller image, almost looking like a marble, with a key circled at the very end. It was set up in an equation format, so the brothers' only guess that if they gathered the necessary equipment in order, they would get the key to the room.

But of course, things were never _that _easy.

They had to start by _finding _all of the representations of the pictures. Then they had to figure out what purpose each of them held in the equation. With a heavy sigh, Matthew turned to his brother.

"All right, let's pick this apart in order. What the first thing?"

Alfred bent down, looking down at the bright images. "It looks like some sort of chemical bottle."

Nodding, the younger brother adjusted the goggles. "Let me see…"

He turned to the bookshelf, fixating the lenses to focus better on it. There we toppled books and hourglasses, and dictionaries, and on the top shelf, a series of glass bottles, all labeled by the alphabet. His eyes roamed alongside them, until he found 'X'. Matthew walked over, and reached for it.

Of course he was too short.

"Alfred come here, I need a boost. I found what I think may be the bottle…" the Canadian mumbled, and he heard shuffling.

"What do you want now?" Alfred asked, standing next to him now.

"Just give me a lift for a few seconds. I think I just found part one."

The American sighed irritably, but laced his fingers together and made a pool with his hands. Matthew hopped on quickly, and swiftly grabbed the liquid before hopping off, as Alfred waved his hand around frantically, and gave a small glare.

"That the right one?" he huffed.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. What does it say next?"

The next picture was a chest, plus a circular object. Alfred suggested that they try and figure out what inside the container first, and Matthew agreed. He carefully pulled the cork, and let it drip on the floor. It hissed, tearing a small hole into the tiling. They exchanged glances, and swallowed heavily.

"P-pretty dangerous stuff huh? Better not spill it Matt…" Alfred laughed, and the brother nodded.

"Y-yeah…"

While Alfred watched, Matthew walked to the chest, clenching the bottle's neck tightly. He knelt down, and examined the case, and realized something odd. He touched the keyhole, and it was crusted over. No key was going in, or coming out.

"It's corroded over, Al. Any ideas?"

"Splash the acid stuff all over it."

The blond almost protested, about to rant off about how terrible of an idea that was when it seemed to actually make sense. If it was so acidic, it might rip through, and reveal the lock, or, open it altogether. He nodded slowly.

"All right…"

The Canadian stepped back a bit, and carefully uncorked the bottle. He began to pour it on the lock, and it made a terrible whine as it melted away. It pooled on the floor, as it appeared to harden. Letting out a long sigh, he waited moments before touching the now gone lock.

Still, there was a large, circular indent, making Matthew believe that's what the equation had meant. He turned back to Alfred.

"Okay, so, it worked. But now there is a circular hole. And it won't open until I place something there. What do you think?"

The American shrugged, aiding him not a bit. He groaned, and turned back, tracing along the edge with his finger. Had they missed something in the previous room? If they had, there was no going back. Could it be there was something that was needed in this room? But if so, where? He stood, absentmindedly taking a hold of the strap around his chest to stabilize the satchel. Matthew heard the clank inside it, and a thought raced through his mind. The Canadian fiddled, and pulled out the medal with the inscription. And once more, he knelt down and stuck it in, as it click softly. The blond grinned, and opened it.

Alfred came closer, and leaned over to see what was inside. Inside was disappointing to put it kindly. There were three select colored marbles, the primary colors, yellow, blue, and red.

Matthew took them into his hand, and stood back, turning to him. "Who knows, maybe they're useful."

Nodding, they proceeded back to the door, where they would try and get the door open. To their luck, there were three little slots instead of a keyhole, and they placed them inside. With yet another soft click, the door opened, and the brothers grinned.

But of course, it was absolutely _too _easy.

When the door swung open, a flash of light blinded them, and they cringed. It held for what seemed like forever, and when it finally dimmed, a chilling voice spoke, and they both felt their hearts stop.

"_Bonjour, mes amis_. Thank you so much for freeing me. It is _much _appreciated."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay so...I know how extremely late this is, and I don't really like how this chapter turned out. I may rewrite it soon but it'll do for now. <strong>

**So not a terribly challenging room, but we get to meet Francis! He'll be an important character, so keep an eye on him! **

**Read and Review~?**

**-IchigoMelon**


	5. IV: The Ticking Library Pt 1

Matthew and Alfred stared incredulously at the man before them, if it was even a man at all. He was wispy, like dry ice and hot water mixing and the result spewing out into a person.

He was like a ghost.

His hair was blond, much like their own, wavy and long. He had periwinkle eyes that seemed to look mischievous as he crossed his arms. Matthew assumed he was French, due to the way he'd addressed them moments ago.

"H-hello?" he squeaked, Alfred still too entranced to speak.

The man smiled, offering a small bow. "_J m'apelle, Francis Bonnefoy._"

Translating it quickly and swiftly in his mind, Matthew turned to Alfred. "He says his name is Francis Bonnefoy."

"_Oui, _and I see someone 'ere speaks French, _non_?" Francis grinned, indicating the Canadian.

He nodded slowly. "I see you do, as well."

The ghost like figure's grin broadened, as he seemed to glide across the floor. He circled the two, Alfred trying to follow him with his eyes, but only resulted in spinning in a circle himself. The American grimaced. "Dude, cut it out!"

He laughed, but followed the command. "So, as I've said, I thank you for freeing me. Perhaps, an exchange can be made to aid you on your journey~?"

"A trade?" Matthew inquired, turning back to him. Something about it just didn't sound right to him, not at all.

Francis began to float around them again. "Oh, you know. An exchange. I'll give you something useful, and you give me something _not _useful to you. Or perhaps, something useful for something _less _useful. See? I get something, you get something, fair, _oui_?"

Alfred shrugged. "Guess so, but what if we don't need anything you have to offer?"

"I _always _have something you'll need sooner or later."

Matthew _still _did not like how it sounded. "I don't think we need your help, Francis. I think Alfred and I will be just fine, considering we have been so far."

The Frenchman clicked his tongue softly, and swirled around Matthew now. "Yes, that may be true, but you and your brother have only scratched the surface of what is to come. Enemies shall become allies, allies, shall become enemies. Friends shall become foes, and your foes shall become the key to escape and survival. You will need what I have to offer."

Alfred nudged Matthew. "Maybe he's onto something…"

"I don't trust him Al…"

"Oh? What's not to trust? Here I am, offering aid, and you cannot accept it? How prideful, it seems," Francis mocked, knowing that it was indeed not the truth, but wanted to agitate him.

The Canadian scowled softly at him. "That's not it at all. I don't know whom you are or if you're even safe to be around. You must understand that. My brother and I are unaware of whom to even begin to trust at this current time. You, again, must understand that."

"Oh, I do. I do very well, but allow me to make an exchange with you now. What do you have that I may take, so I can give you something back?"

Alfred ignored whatever glances were shot at him, and fiddled around in the satchel when he pulled out the small bell. He held it up to Francis, and gave him a curious look, as if asking, _Will this work_?

The man grinned, and nodded slowly before taking it, and in turn, handing him a small, silver key. It was thin, very thin, and it looked easily bendable, so Alfred took it with caution. "Thanks. What's it for?"

"Find out~" the Frenchman sang, before his image slowly began to fade, become translucent. "You'll know when you need it~"

_'He's fading…!' _Matthew thought worriedly, reaching out for him. "H-hey you're…!"

Francis winked at him before slowly turning, and disappearing just as he hit the wall. The brothers exchanged glances, and Alfred held up the key, shrugging. "Well, at least we got a key."

"Yeah, but we gave up a bell we might need later."

"Maybe we'll get it back…?"

The Canadian gave him a soft glare. "Honestly Alfred, we need to be more careful. For all we know he's speaking complete nonsense and he's an enemy. Stop being so trusting…"

"Maybe you should be _more _trusting," the American inquired, speaking the words with complete truth. He held no hate or spite in the words, just simply stating a fact.

Matthew stared at him for a moment, before shaking his head. But he seemed to be smiling softly. "You…what am I going to do with you?"

"Nothing, because I'm a hero. I'll be the one doing something with you!"

The words brought an odd sense of comfort to his ears and mind as he nodded. "Yes, yes of course. Now, come on, we need to get going on."

Alfred grinned, and followed his brother through the door.

* * *

><p>The corridor was long, and dark, like most of the places here recently, but this one was illuminated to a semi-decent lighting. They walked down carefully, their footsteps meeting them again with an echo. The two remained silent for the most part, listening for any source of life.<p>

They turned the corner with caution, but were relieved to find nothing of danger as they did. It was oddly quiet, but in a sense it brought them security they probably shouldn't have had. Matthew couldn't help but let it wash over him, his anxiety been working in overtime.

The brothers finally reached the end of the hall; there was a rather intricate looking door with a small keyhole. Alfred turned to Matthew, and with a sly smirk, he indicated to the keyhole as he held up the key.

"Just open the door, Al," Matthew groaned, refusing to let his brother gloat.

The American laughed, but did as he was told, and sure enough, the door clicked open. He pulled it open with a loud creak, and waved his hand, ushering for Matthew to walk in. The Canadian did so, and Alfred shut the door behind them.

It was another long hallway, with four color-coded doors, two on either side. At the end there was another door, purely white as if stating blatantly, _final door_.

Alfred looked back at him. "There are four colors, so let's start with…red?"

Not knowing a better guess, he nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

The two walked over, and opening the door, they stepped inside one after the other.

The room was covered in a reddish glow, every aspect and inch of the room completely red. The walls, the books, there were _so _many books. It looked like a library. The chairs, the red lamp on the table spewed out red light, the ink in the jar on the desk was red. Everything was completely red.

…Except for the one book standing out.

The book was yellow, clearly visible in the red arrangement.

Frowning, Alfred seemed to notice it too. He walked over, and pulled the book out.

They heard a soft click, and seeming to have heard it to, the American turned back to him, and stared.

* * *

><p><strong>Part One Of Chapter Four. I divided this chapter because I wanted to separate the actual puzzle from Francis's introduction. Francis will appear a lot throughout the story, so watch him carefully~ <strong>

**Anyways, I hope to get this story back up and running. New Year's Resolution of 2012!**

**I'm sorry if the fluency of this seems off... I haven't written this story in over 3 months, therefore...I'm a bit rusty with it. I hope it sounds alright! Hopefully my _Game Guard_ muse will kick back in, and it'll all start making more sense again.**

**Here's to hoping for regular updates! Thanks for anyone still reading! You all mean a lot to me!**

**Hetalia is (c) Hidekaz Himaruya**


	6. Author's Note

Hello!

As you know, this story has been on a very unfortunate hiatus, but fear not! It shall come out of it, soon. But not the way you expect.

I'm rewriting this entire story. I'm simply not happy with the way its gone so far. Therefore, I am currently in the process of fixing up all the chapters, and hopefully will get it back into gear.

But in doing so, I'd like to delete this version of the story so I can repost it.

So in about...I don't know, a few hours? I'll be deleting this story and reposting it. Not necessarily with all the chapters that it's had before, as I said, I'm editing and rewriting them, but it will have them eventually.

So if you're still interested in this little fic of mine, I suggest you put me on author alert so that you can catch it when I repost it!

Thanks anyone who is still sticking around for this, and I sincerely hope you enjoy the new version!

-IchigoMelon


End file.
